Left lower quadrant
The left lower quadrant (abbreviated LLQ) of the human abdomen is the area left of the midline and below the umbilicus. The abdomen is divided into quadrants by doctors to localize pain and tenderness, scars, lumps and other items of interest. It includes the left iliac fossa and half of the left flank region.
The term is not used in comparative anatomy, since most other animals do not stand erect. The equivalent term for animals is left posterior quadrant.
Important organs of the left lower quadrant include part of descending colon, sigmoid colon, left ovary and Fallopian tube or left uterine tube.
If abdominal pain or signs of peritonitis are localized in the left lower quadrant, the suspicion is increased for such conditions as colitis, diverticulitis, ureteral colic or pain due to ovarian cysts or pelvic inflammatory disease. Examples of tumors in the left lower quadrant include colon cancer or ovarian tumor.
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